Shadow Slave

Even after living through the horrors of the Southern Campaign and witnessing the chilling resolution of the Battle of the Black Skull, Sunny still paled at the sight of the enormous swarm of Corrupted Beasts. There were too many of them to count, but there had to be tens of thousands of translucent crustaceans advancing toward the island.

Even Nephis seemed taken aback- a rare sight, and not a welcome one. She instinctively outstretched a hand, as if summoning a sword could save them from the plague of Corrupted abominations.

"It's... it's alright."

Her voice was even but lacked confidence.

Sunny forced out a faint smile.

"How exactly is this alright?"

Nephis lingered for a moment.

"These creatures don't seem capable of leaving the water."

Sunny closed his eyes for a moment. Yes, the abominable krill were probably incapable of crawling onto the island and devouring them. However, they were more than capable of devouring the Azure Serpent. And with the old snake gone, nothing would prevent the dark butterfly from landing on the shell of the slain Great Monster.

"That's right. You are going to die."

He flinched and glared at the Sin of Solace, who had appeared out of nowhere and looked at him with dark glee.

The sword wraith laughed, and then whispered:

"Better yet, you are going to watch Nephis die. Isn't it poetic?"

Sunny tried to ignore the vile apparition, but this time, it was much harder than usual. With the words of the Sin of Solace still echoing in his ears, he forced himself to look away and stare at the river.

suddenly shot toward the krill swarm with tremendous speed. The water parted and foamed

fury. That snake... did not know when to retreat. Or rather, it never wanted to.

really. What an

of lunatic to make a vice into a perverse virtue. The Azure Serpent's

its fangs were, the serpent could only crush that many krill in its jaws. A dozen at a time, a few dozen,

to sink their teeth into the Great Beast's flesh. Even though there was a vast gap between the two Ranks, it was not as insurmountable as that

different if the mad beast possessed unnatural powers, but it only possessed inconceivable physical might. Not

And yet, and yet...

root for the

old snake... do

moments away

it

and Nephis swayed, pushed back by the shockwave of a demented, enraged roar.

The krill, however...

had been much closer to the source of the roar, the shockwave spread through the swarm like a battering ram. Sunny's

swarming abominations... were

had been closer to the Azure Serpent, were paralyzed completely, while

he could, and then a little further still. He just barely managed to

like a whip, and a sudden explosion sent countless tons of water rushing outward in a crushing wave. The sonic boom was

obliterated by the

were already rushing from all sides, aiming to bite into its massive

opened and snapped, grinding

was like a drop in

trying to turn its long snout into a drill. Sunny did not see how this could help the Great Beast against the swarm of Corrupted abominations, but in

along the length of its colossal body. That underwater